


A Tattered Box

by Celebrusc



Series: The Prince and the Rogue [12]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers
Genre: Gen, I am a cruel cruel person, War, a legacy of Power, but no one dies on screen, dark!AU, family vs duty, imminent death of a main character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 12:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6609949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celebrusc/pseuds/Celebrusc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kimberly Hart had become a Power Ranger at fifteen years of age, she passed on the duty for the first time at eighteen, before reclaiming it several years later.<br/>If given the choice, she would do the same thing again. But that doesn't mean she would wish her life on anyone else.<br/>Now she is old and tired. She knows she will not see tomorrow.<br/>But she has one last task. There is an invasion force at the door, and her last act will be to break a promise she made a long time ago.<br/>She loves her family, but once a Ranger always a Ranger. And duty had to come first.</p><p>OR</p><p>Kimberly Hart passes on her Power Coin for the last time. Her pride only matched by her grief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Tattered Box

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Power Rangers is not mine, I'm only playing in the sand box.
> 
> This story takes place many many years post 'the Forming of the Court'. I don't have an exact date for when yet, though one will be added when I do.  
> It hints at a few other things that are part of this canon that hasn't been mentioned yet, so I apologise if anything is confusing.
> 
> As always questions, comments etc welcome. And thank you to my Beta.

The sun was setting, its red light spilling like blood across her living room. Soon it would be night, and with the night they would come. The old warrior held the tattered box in bandaged hands, and stared at the battered surface. She’d sworn she would never open it, not again. She would give anything, absolutely anything, for it not to have come to this. But it had. She did not have a choice. Tonight she would die before the sunrise; old, injured, helpless. Hardly the warrior’s death she had once imagined. He’d said that though, that the Rangers rarely died in battle. That it was part of their curse. She ran her fingers over the faded familiar design, and called out to her granddaughter, hating herself with every word.

“What is it, Gran?” Tammy’s hair was cut short, and dyed a deep pink, the rest of her clothes all variations in the same colour. From the moment she had been born, Tammy had never been happy in anything else. That had been the first sign that today was inevitable, but her Grandmother had chosen to ignore it, and hope.

“Come in and close the door, dear. I have something to give you.”

Dutifully the young woman stepped forward, closing the door behind her with a click, and settling on the floor in front of her grandmother’s chair.

The old woman, oh how the years had run away from her, ran calloused fingers over the box sitting on her lap, her eyes fixed on it with sadness and longing. Finally, she glanced up to meet Tammy’s gaze. “This was mine a very long time ago, now it is yours. Your mother never had to inclination to inherit it. I should have given it to you already, but I was selfish. I wanted to keep you a little longer.”

“I don’t understand, Gran.”

The once warrior looked out the window at the fading sky. “Tonight, they will come again. But they won’t be unchallenged, not anymore.”

“Has someone managed to get a message past the jammers?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“But only a Power Ranger could challenge them.”

She smiled sadly. “I know.”

“But what are you saying? You aren’t making any sense.”

With trembling hands, she picked up the case, and passed it over to her granddaughter.

“Open the box, Tammy.”

Hesitantly, Tammy accepted the box from her Gran’s shaking, time worn, hands, and settled it in her own lap. Carefully, she raised the lid, revealing an exquisitely crafted golden medallion nestled amongst the dark pink satin. Reverently, she lifted it from its case. “Is this?”

“The Pink Power Coin? Yes.”

“But that would make you...”

“Kimberly Hart. The Prince’s nightshade. I retired here just before your Mother was born.” Kimberly looked down at her hands, worrying at the edge of the bandages that wrapped the palms, before forcing herself to meet Tammy’s eyes. “I hoped I would never see the day a member of this family had to take up my duties.”

Tammy in turn could not seem to keep her eyes from the coin. Her fingers already caressing it possessively, as she turned it this way and that. “With this I can protect our people?” Her vision stayed locked, mesmerised, even as she spoke.

“Yes,” Kimberly admitted, already grieving for the innocence that would be lost. “But it will change you. It is not an easy burden a bear. Especially not alone. The rest of your team are at the Prince’s Court. You have always had a place there had you wished it. I should have sent you when you turned sixteen, and definitely at eighteen. Your link to the Power was clear. I was selfish.”

Finally, Tammy wrenched her eyes upwards to meet Kimberly’s own. “I’m glad you didn’t. If you had, I would not be here now.” Tammy took a deep breath, steel entering her normally playful brown eyes. “What do I do?”

“What is it telling you to do?”

“What?” Tammy looked confused.

Kimberly smiled sadly. “Close your eyes. Breath. Now focus on the Power Coin.”

Still looking puzzled, the young woman followed the instructions.

“Now, what is it telling you to do?”

Tammy flowed to her feet. Eyes still closed, the box clattering unheeded to the floor. She punched her palms out in front of her. Hands overlapping, Power Coin facing forward. “It’s Morphin’ Time.” Came unbidden from her lips. Tammy’s eyes snapped open, flashing a brilliant bright pink. “Pterodactyl!”


End file.
